


Horizon

by Pinx_B



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff, Romance, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 10:16:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15839202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinx_B/pseuds/Pinx_B
Summary: It can take an unexpected encounter & being in the right place at the wrong time to catapult changes that could be unimaginable..





	Horizon

**Author's Note:**

> Long explanation short, I lost all my work and data due to some sort of file corruption. All my footnotes, research, chapter structure and main plot outline for Beyond Boundaries & Constellations were also lost..(still processing) along with many, many other pieces and wips. 
> 
> It takes a lot to dissuade me from redoing lost pieces but the sheer amount gone has knocked my motivation so I can't start it all again. 
> 
> This piece will remain as the one shot it was originally intended since I can't get around the block created by the loss of work. But not to worry, hopefully I'll be posting more frequently again. These last 2 months have been strange :3
> 
> Thank you for understanding!

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Eirin often thought of the conception of humanity as being a big cosmic joke for whatever entity that created it. 

In a way that a cat would toy around with a mouse before killing it, that is what humanity was. 

Something that was going to be on Earth for an insignificant duration of time before it is annihilated. 

The globe has already experienced 5 mass extinctions if that wasn't proof of this twisted game being played. 

During the Ordovician era, around 60% of terrestrial & marine life perished. 

The Devonian era saw the elimination of all reef activity which brought about catastrophic consequences around the world. 

Because of the lack of reef activity, the Permian era suffered greatly with a loss of 85%-90% of marine life as the coral reef production wouldn't occur again till much later on. 

Mass extinction number four resulted in half of the planet's marine invertebrates being lost again along with 80% of land quadrupeds during the Triassic era. 

Last but not least, the Cretaceous mass extinction was responsible for eradicating every single animal living on land, including the dinosaurs along with marine and plant life.

The modern day mass extinction was already underway, known as the Holocene (or idiotcene) extinction which is a result of human activity hence the more insulting term. 

 

 _"Maybe whatever created everything has realised it screwed up & is now killing us"_ Eirin thought bitterly whilst sighing, _"Or letting us do the dirty work by killing ourselves with diseases"_. 

For a woman in the medical profession, her thoughts could've been branded as being jaded & pessimistic but she had seen enough to know that not even the pharmaceutical industry could keep its hands clean from furthering the death of humanity. 

It was something she always kept at the back of her mind in order to give her patients the best care available. Eirin knew that not everyone could be saved but sometimes, just _sometimes_ she entertained the idea of not being able to find a cure as a test from whatever was orchestrating the universe. 

Leaning back on the bench on the platform, Eirin closed her eyes and dug her hands into the pockets of her navy coat as the chill of the winter air still lingered even though spring had made its way. The black shirt beneath her coat and grey pencil skirt & tights were not thick enough to keep the biting wisps of wind from digging into her skin. Not that it mattered as she'd been sat there for long enough to feel numb against the weather. 

After the loss of any patient that had been under her care, Eirin often fell into a cycle of self loathing and picking apart the idea of the universe existing for no reason other than being an experiment gone wrong.

The curse of being born to only die replayed in her mind and as someone who's entire job was to save lives; that concept was her mortal enemy. 

Eirin Yagokoro was a new breed of medical miracles to brace the world.

Very rarely could she not aid someone into a full recovery or provide a comfortable, longer life for a person if their condition was terminal. 

She was _brilliant_ , to put it simply. 

The problem with having a reputation as the miracle doctor was when a patient did die, said doctor wasn't sure how to cope with it. 

In the case of terminally ill patients, Eirin at least could come to terms with their impending death, going as far as to know when it would occur. She could convince her mind that she had done everything in her power to help the patient, to try to beat whatever was killing them within that time limit but unfortunately couldn't do anything more. 

The woman knew she wasn't a goddess and even her abilities were limited. 

However, when it came to patients who seemed relatively healthy that suddenly died not long after was where the real guilt buried Eirin. 

Before she could get a diagnosis, before she could set up a treatment plan, before she could rule out anything. 

It was the death of those patients that made the prodigious doctor question everything. 

 

Her blue eyes had just stopped watering, the whites of it still red whilst she wept the evening away after her shift at the hospital finished. 

The only place she had in mind to run to was the abandoned train station not far from the hospital. Devoid of people, the eerie silence was a comfort for Eirin and she often came to the place since she moved to the area many years ago. 

The Yakumo train station was a relic for the town, something that had faded away the more the advancement of the technological world continued. 

It was left alone to remain standing on the isolated patch of land & Eirin had found it to be a safe haven from the noise of society. 

The building itself was well maintained considering its closure and the tracks showed the usual signs of nature reclaiming what was hers. Only the sole bench she was sat on that had the ticket machine on its right were what remained of the establishment. 

Eirin visited to place enough to ensure that it felt something of a human presence, especially when she was on the receiving end of one being lost. 

The news came to the doctor part way through her shift; the young woman she had been caring for passing away after 8 months of trial and error. 

8 months of trying to figure what was causing the 22 year old to show signs of medical trauma that would be more plausible to the elderly. Yet despite the internal symptoms, she appeared to be the pinnacle of health on the outside, as if she was ready to take on the world. 

The absurdity of the case was why it reached Eirin's hands in the first place. 

Doctors and diagnosticians around the world were flummoxed by the woman's condition that fluctuated by the hour. One moment she was able to walk, breath and smile on her own accord, the next minute she was on the floor, coughing up blood till they had no choice but to carry out frequent blood transfusions. 

She would go from having enough control of her body to carry out day to day tasks to barely being able to open her eyes, the entirety of her form as pale as could be. 

Nothing about it made sense & when Eirin met her, she made it her goal to get the woman to a stable form of health as soon as possible. 

But the odds were against her & thinking about it made her frown in such frustration that she was giving herself a headache. 

 _"I could have done more.."_.

Realistically it wasn't the case, Eirin put everything she had into the woman's care, including her own resources to help her.

_"There were things I must've missed.."._

Another untrue statement her mind was creating because the doctor had a standard of thoroughness that would rival that of those who prepared a room for patients with autoimmune issues. 

 _"She, she trusted me and I failed her..."_.

Not according to the letter that the woman left in the event of her death which thanked Eirin thoroughly for being a source of reprieve that nobody else could be, for making her the most content she's been for those 8 months than her entire life. 

 

In her internal berating, a sudden noise caught the woman off guard and her head whipped to the right of where the train tracks were. 

The very distinct sounds of a train grew louder the closer to the station it arrived. 

"That can't be right, this place isn't operational" she muttered and was up on her feet. 

The setting sun that was almost out of sight provided just enough illumination for Eirin to see past the tracks clearly. Every second passing brought the loud chugging of the train to a crescendo & Eirin was on guard. 

There was no way that a train could be arriving, but Eirin knew what she was hearing. 

Either that or the grief over her patient had finally settled in fully. 

She held her breath as her eyes & ears had not been playing tricks on her when the means of transport actually pulled up slowly to the station. 

"What on earth is going on?". 

From just looking at it, the carriages were from the 1970's, a decadent blend of black and brown that covered the surface. The bulky mass of steel & metal ground to a halt and she noticed that there were only 3 carriages, excluding the control pit & the end section. It could definitely be referred to as a vintage piece given how the world now ran on high speed bullet trains in every developed nation. 

While scanning the train, what Eirin hadn't noticed was the shadow in the middle carriage that was adjacent to where she was stood. The layout of the door blocked any actual view of what was inside the train so when it separated with a hissing noise, her eyes flew to whatever was there. 

She'd backed away as the door opened and a woman stepped onto the platform. 

The woman casually walked a few feet towards the doctor, her heels breaking the silence as a friendly smile braced her face. Eirin was unsure of what to make of this extraordinary situation and tried to figure out what was going on. 

She was probably a head shorter than Eirin, hair as golden as the morning sun that splayed around her face elegantly & eyes the strangest colour she had ever seen. 

A smouldering shade of violet that enhanced the sultry orbs which were watching her with slight humour. 

The white dress she was wearing accentuated the light colours of her hair and eyes along with the black jacket wrapped around her. Despite the cold, the simple dress stopped above the woman's knees that were bare, leading to legs that seemed to flow smoothly into her heels. 

Eirin had had her fair share of relationships with beautiful women but the one standing before her seemed..otherworldly. 

"Hello there". 

The rich voice appeared to travel through the air, wrapping around Eirin's body and pulling her towards the stranger. 

There were too many things that were flagging Eirin's warnings to not lose function of her mind & it had been enough of a kick to bring her back. 

"Hi.." she managed before signalling between the train & the woman with her hand, "I could've sworn this station was abandoned. For it to be functioning is highly unusual let alone being able to carry passengers".

"Are you _always_ this sceptical?" the blonde chuckled. 

Eirin was taken aback by the calmness of the woman. Then again, she was the one on the train & not being on the receiving end of what could class as a ghostly situation. 

"When trains appear at a station that hasn't been active in over 60 years, you'd be inclined to think the same". 

"Hm, that is a valid point. I do wonder how often is it that you are here to know of its emptiness?". 

"Long enough to know that seeing that here.." Eirin replied whilst pointing to the carriages, "Is concerning". 

The blonde made a show of glancing back at the train before smiling again at Eirin, "Maybe I can fill you in on a bit of history but first, may I know your name?". 

Eirin was hesitant to reveal that when the woman walked closer to her so that they were face to face. She had no idea who this stranger was and why she appeared to render everything around her inane with that aura of hers. The doctor could defend herself if worst came to worst, one of the perks of knowing which part of the body to attack for maximum damage. 

"Eirin Yagokoro". 

The woman outstretched her hand, "Yukari Yakumo, it's a pleasure to meet you". 

Their cool palms collided, the softness of their skin helping to elevate the growing cold air around them. 

Yukari's eyes continued to lure her in until something clicked in the doctor's mind. 

"Wait, _Yakumo_? As in..?". 

Yukari laughed with such refined smoothness and replied, "Indeed, as in this train station does belong to my family".

"I, uh, I apologise for intruding" Eirin answered sheepishly.

"No apology required, Eirin" Yukari said with an extra lilt on the way she said the woman's name, "Why don't we sit down?". 

Eirin could only follow the blonde back to the bench as the revelation settled within her. She had so many question that she didn't know where to start but something about this woman felt demanding, like she wanted to listen to her forever. 

They sat down with their bodies angled so that they could see each other's faces & Eirin suddenly felt her extensive vocabulary and years of training in the art of keeping her cool disappear right in front of her eyes. 

Luckily, Yukari took the lead in steering the conversation. Not so luckily was what it was about. 

"Are you alright? Your eyes are red, but beautiful regardless". 

She quickly blinked in hopes of clearing away the pressure to the veins there but the complement didn't go amiss. 

"I'm okay, thank you. Just a rough day at work" she forced a smile before moving the topic along, "Though it did lead me here so I'm quite curious as to how this came to be, I had no idea the Yakumo family had anyone living in the area. From what I've heard, they were rather evasive and barely any information is known". 

"And yet here you are, sat with a living & breathing descendent" Yukari teased. 

Eirin chuckled at that, "Surreal would be an understatement". 

"To be honest, even us current generations of Yakumo are not as familiar with our roots. The only thing I know of my ancestors are deeds and business ventures, this being one of them" Yukari explained and glanced around, "I acquired the legal paperwork for the station a few years ago since it wasn't sold on".

"Ah so that explains you being here, I just had no idea it was running". 

"Not to the public" Yukari winked, "Special privileges of being the owner of liquidated property". 

"That makes it sound dubious". 

"I have a feeling that that was a word you had in your mind since hearing the train, right?". 

Eirin held the blonde's stare, "Perhaps. But the more you think about it, the world is nothing more than a setting for such things to happen, be they positive or negative" and then moved her gaze away as the day's events floored her thoughts, "We simply have to take everything with a pinch of salt & get on with it". 

"That's a rather two dimensional way to view life isn't it? Without looking for insight or meaning, it leaves reasoning lacking". 

"In my profession, there is no other way to analyse it".

"What is it that you do, if I may ask?". 

Yukari was picking up on a macabre tone that laced the woman's words. 

"I'm a doctor" Eirin replied and pointed back at the hospital, "I see patients everyday, some on the border of life & some crossing over to death. Mortality waits for nobody in this line of work and it's my job to figure it out before it catches up. We can't afford to speculate because time is against us". 

Eirin wanted to continue but took a deep breath when she realised she'd poured out too much, "I'm sorry, that outburst was probably not what you needed" she smiled. 

The blonde was not spooked off by it whatsoever, "Don't be, it does explain your feelings. As well as why you must have been crying". 

Yukari had placed a hand on Eirin's shoulder sympathetically and normally the doctor would've been quick to remove herself from the contact but it felt good to feel the touch for some reason. 

The softness in the violet orbs furthered the comfort, making Eirin want to delve everything to her. She had bottled it up; not only the death of her patient but the cruelties of the world for so long that the fact that someone was actually checking to see how she was felt like a lifeline. 

Even if it was a stranger she merely just met. 

"It comes with the job I hear" she answered as Yukari moved her hand away, "Which is something I've got to be up bright & early for so I must be going. It was nice to meet you, Yukari".

They stood up now as they noticed how dark it'd become with only a few streetlights to cut through the night. The silence was much more evident when nothing could be seen. 

"Likewise" Yukari answered before pausing, "I wasn't expecting to see anybody here so it was a lovely surprise". 

"I can't say I'm a believer of fate but this could make me a little _less_ sceptical" the doctor laughed softly. 

"Well, maybe that can change. If you'd like, perhaps I could call you sometime. I am told that I'm excellent to vent to". 

"You've been told correct" Eirin expressed genuinely, "I would like that, Yukari".

The blonde's eyes lit up and Eirin could've sworn in a literal sense too. She wasn't one for exposing herself to strangers on this level, leaving them as flings or brief stints at trying to make a friendship or relationship work. Maybe it was due to how she was feeling, where having some mutual company did help to make her more open to Yukari's suggestion. Or perhaps it was the lingering attraction she felt for the blonde the moment she saw her. 

Eirin couldn't decide which factor it was as they exchanged numbers but what she did know was that Yukari's presence felt welcoming, something she wanted around regardless of whether they'd be friends or more. 

Tucking her phone away, Eirin watched the blonde as she did the same, wondering where to go from here, "Thank you. I should be off now. Could I give you a lift home or anything, it's rather late and my car is around the corner". 

"I have some things to do around the station but thank you for offering" Yukari answered warmly, "Besides, my ride out is the way I came in". 

The doctor nodded with feigned disappointment, "I guess a car doesn't live up to a vintage style train". 

"If you're nice enough, I may just let you join me next time". 

"Next time you say..".

Yukari liked the way she said that and gave her own flirtatious smile, "Till next time, Eirin, please drive safe". 

"Thank you, for the talk as well" the woman replied, feeling a lot calmer than she had done when she came to the station, "Have a good night, Yukari". 

She retreated back to the stairs that led to the street where her car was before turning once more and waving at the blonde and was met with the same gesture. The doctor hoped the woman would be okay there considering the time of night though she figured Yukari was more than knowledgeable about the area and its isolation. 

The day was full of unexpected news for her and though her heart felt heavy about the loss of her patient, Eirin was hopeful that she could salvage something from it to make sure it never happens again. 

Meeting Yukari was simply a shove from the universe to remind her that every action is met with a reaction. 

No matter how much she disliked the idea of the world working in a systemic and cold way, encounters like this showed that it wasn't always against her. 


End file.
